July 16 (Bloomberg) -- The European Union’s antitrust chief
said he’d rather settle an antitrust probe over claims Google
Inc. discriminates against rivals than pursue an enforcement
action against the world’s largest Web-search engine.

“In these fast-moving markets with new activities, new
products and new services, I prefer to find remedies as soon as
possible and this is easier,” EU Competition Commissioner
Joaquin Almunia said today in an interview, referring to a
settlement.

Earlier this month, Google outlined a proposal to end the
EU antitrust investigation. The probe is reviewing allegations
that the company promotes its own specialist search-services,
copies rivals’ travel and restaurant reviews, and has agreements
with websites and software developers that stifle competition in
the advertising industry.

Almunia said last month he would send Google an antitrust
complaint if the proposed accord didn’t eliminate the issues
identified by the EU. Such a complaint could lead to a fine or
limits on conduct.

Regulators are seeking “to clarify some of the aspects of
the answers we received from Google,” Almunia said. “We have
not yet concluded our conversation, but I hope that in the near
future we will finally decide” whether to settle the probe or
send a statement of objections.

The Financial Times reported earlier today that Google
submitted revised concessions to the European Commission.

Al Verney, a spokesman for Google in Brussels, declined to
comment on any new offer. Google is cooperating with the
commission, he said.

Google, based in Mountain View, California, is under
growing pressure from global regulators probing whether it’s
thwarting competition in the market for Web searches. The U.S.
Federal Trade Commission and antitrust agencies in Argentina and
South Korea are also scrutinizing the company.

While Microsoft Inc. and partner Yahoo! Inc. have about a
quarter of the U.S. Web-search market, Google has almost 95
percent of the traffic in Europe, Microsoft said in a blog post
last year, citing data from regulators.